Open Access

REVIEW

Cancer Stem Cells; More Cancer or Stem?

Dmitriy Vladimirovich Karpenko^*

Laboratory of Epigenetic regulation of hematopoiesis, National Medical Research Center for Hematology, Moscow, 125167, Russia

* Corresponding Author: Dmitriy Vladimirovich Karpenko. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Exploring the Role of Cancer Stem Cells)

BIOCELL 2025, 49(5), 743-765. https://doi.org/10.32604/biocell.2025.062791

Received 27 December 2024; Accepted 21 February 2025; Issue published 27 May 2025

Abstract

Cancer is a highly heterogeneous pathology that poses a significant threat to millions of lives worldwide. In recent decades, there has been a substantial advancement in our understanding of the mechanisms underlying oncogenesis. Contemporary models now take into account the intricate interplay between cancer cells, immune cells, and other non-pathological cells during oncogenesis. The identification of small subpopulations of cancer stem cells has emerged as a crucial area of research, as these cells have been associated with cancer progression and resistance to various therapeutic interventions. The ability to distinguish between cancer stem cells and non-pathological stem cells is paramount for effective diagnostics and treatment. The stem state is associated with a cell’s ability to survive under harmful conditions. Evidence has recently emerged that non-pathological stem cells possess immune privileges. The ability of stem cells to evade surveillance of the immune system could be utilized by oncogenesis. This is of particular significance due to the rising role of anti-cancer immune therapies. Moreover, the immune privileges of stem cells could be exploited by cancer before any treatment, emphasizing the importance of their integration into cancer models. This review elucidates the functional comparison of cancer stem cells with non-pathological stem cells and the associated challenges in diagnostics and treatment.

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Keywords

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